WYANGALA WALL RAISING PROJECT

Project update December 2020

WaterNSW Agenda

• Acknowledgement of Country

• Introductions

• Project update

• Environmental assessment update

• Engagement

• Connect with us

• Questions

WaterNSW Purpose of webinar

• Today’s webinar • Held regularly to share project updates • Opportunity to ask questions

WaterNSW Background

Since late 2019 we have been developing the project:

• Finalising the concept design • Field work almost complete • Procurement for a new Water Treatment Plant • Preparation of inputs for final business case • Engaging with stakeholders, communities and Aboriginal parties • Establishing a project office

4 WaterNSW Confirmed FSL

Confirmed 10m Full Supply Level will inform:

• Environmental Impact Statement

• Final business case

• Concept design

• Holiday Park planning work

WaterNSW 2021 activities

Environmental Landholder Community Environmental Impact Final business case field surveys and engagement information sessions Statement public display developed investigations continues and webinars for consultation continue continue

Construction partner Detailed design starts Construction of Water Construction planning for procurement Treatment Plant at Holiday Parks finalised Wyangala starts

6 WaterNSW New Water Treatment Plant

• ‘No regrets’ project • Planning pathway • Procurement • Construction & commissioning • Benefits

7 WaterNSW Environmental assessment

Key features include:

• 10m increase in Full Supply Level • Modify spillway to suit new FSL and embankment • Modify intake towers to suit new FSL • New saddle dam near the entrance of Wyangala Waters Holiday Park

8 WaterNSW Further detail

9 WaterNSW Inundation levels to date

Cowra LGA Legend

Inundation area associated with a 10m raise to the Upper Lachlan existing FSL LGA

Hilltops LGA

Southern extent 10 WaterNSW Ancillary work

Ancillary work impact areas and activities include:

• Relocating existing public and private roads and infrastructure (blue)

• Relocating facilities within both Wyangala Waters and Grabine Lakeside Holiday Parks

Grabine Lakeside Holiday Park Location of proposed road work around the dam 11 WaterNSW Construction

Construction staging program: Clay and rock required: • Dam must remain operational • Materials to be sourced locally and as close to project site as possible • Manage operation and construction safety • Considering expanding rock quarry used for • Construction is expected to take up to four years previous dam construction

Stage 1 - Preparing Stage 2 – Placing Stage 3 – Removing Stage 4 – Start Stage 5 – Finish downstream foundation downstream rock fill existing dam crest raising dam wall raising dam wall

12 WaterNSW Construction

Due to the large workforce and isolation of the site, we are considering: • Dedicated local construction workforce accommodation • Investigating former dam construction workforce accommodation site

Previous construction workforce accommodation 13 WaterNSW Operation

Flood: • Enhanced operational flexibility to manage flood events Water quality, cold pollution and algae: • Modify existing towers to provide multiple intake points • This reduces impacts from cold water pollution

14 WaterNSW Environmental update

15 WaterNSW Biodiversity

Our approach: • NSW Biodiversity Assessment Method (BAM) • Producing a Biodiversity Development Assessment Report (BDAR) • Assessing impacts to listed threatened species and ecological communities, migratory species, and wetlands of international importance 95 percent of • Targeted flora and fauna seasonal surveys (between project area April 2020 – January 2021) ground truthed • Biodiversity offset strategy – investigations underway • Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment (DAWE) has determined controlled action (EPBC Act) and assessed under the Bilateral Agreement

16 WaterNSW Aquatic Ecology

We have: • Carried out targeted fish habitat surveys • Identified the importance of habitat likely to be impacted • Considered design options to minimise or mitigate impacts to aquatic fauna • Prepared a detailed assessment • Developed an offset strategy based on residual impacts • Ongoing engagement with DPI Fisheries

Survey effort as at November 2020 17 WaterNSW Noise and Air Quality

Indicative construction staging used to develop scenarios: • Site establishment • Road work • Quarry activities • Construction compound • Clay borrow area work • Workforce construction camp • Embankment • Vegetation removal work • Spillway work • Demolition work • Intake work

• The construction noise study area has been defined as approximately 2 kilometres from the construction footprint • Noise logging conducted in August and September 2020 • Quantitative assessments of potential noise and vibration impacts and air quality, dust and odour impacts

18 WaterNSW Heritage and Cultural Values

• Cultural heritage in accordance with DECCW 2010 process • 10 Registered Aboriginal Parties (RAPs) • Update on Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Assessment Report(ACHAR) progress is: – Project methodology consultation with RAPs – completed – Subsurface test excavations with RAPs – completed – Field surveys with RAPs – to be completed in January 2021 – Analysis of materials – November - underway – Preparation of an ACHAR – November - underway – Ongoing consultation with RAPs and Aboriginal Stakeholders

• Cultural heritage questionnaire prepared. Survey focuses are cultural values associated with: – Landform immediately surrounding the existing – Areas downstream of the dam • Interviews with downstream Local Aboriginal Land Councils (LALC), reservoir LALCs and 10 RAPs (underway)

19 WaterNSW Traffic and transport

• Site set up, materials (clay and rock) haulage, delivery of equipment and materials • Majority of construction traffic between and Haulage to saddle site via Darby Falls Road (blue) with access to dam area and northern clay compound area via new haulage route (orange) borrow area with some movements along local roads (green)

• Several unsealed public and private roads and Compound access tracks need to be realigned area • Public access to be maintained to:

– Public School To Cowra via Darbys – Wyangala Country Club Falls Road – Wyangala Waters Holiday Park • Traffic Control Plans (TCPs) and Construction Traffic Haulage road Management Plan (CTMP) prepared before from quarry

construction starts Primary haulage route 20 WaterNSW Social impact

Social Impact Assessment will: • Describe existing social environment Cowra

• Involve targeted interviews Wyangala Waters Holiday • Assesses impacts and benefits Park during construction and operation

• Recommend measures to mitigate Grabine Holiday and manage identified impacts Park

• Be prepared in line with leading Wyangala practice Village Note: Cumulative impacts being considered (two construction workforces - the dam and Cowra Hospital)

21 WaterNSW Hydrology and Flooding

River System Modelling • Daily time step continuous simulation – ‘what is the day to day behaviour of the river basin system, including the dam, under both existing and proposed • Numerous inputs: irrigator behaviour, rainfall:runoff, evaporation, groundwater interaction, translucency releases, environmental water holders • Outputs relevant to the project: Yield, environmental flows, dam water levels, regulatory compliance Flood Modelling • Design storm event based • Focuses on flood events • Quantifies downstream hydraulics in more detail • Represents up to extreme flood events • Uses field survey • Includes downstream and upstream

22 WaterNSW Phil Padam BitmeanW

23 WaterNSW Connect with us

Wyangaladamproject 1800 735 822 Wyangala dam wall raising Waternsw.com.au @waternsw.com.au project community group

WaterNSW Questions

WaterNSW Thank you